Prayer Pledge // Day 2

Week One // Prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Augustine

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
That my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
That I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
To defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
That I always may be holy.

Week One Intention

We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit within our own souls.

Week One // Day Two

Act in me, O Holy Spirit,That my work, too, may be holy.

Now that we have practiced the habit of breathing with and being open to the Holy Spirit, we have properly disposed ourselves to His action in our lives. If I do not free up my mind and heart for the Holy Spirit to reign, then I am not in a good position to invite Him to act in my life.

And if I am in an unrestful state and I invite Him to act, I may not be in a place to move. To act means to move. So in a sense, today’s prayer is a two-part prayer. We first must invite Him to act in us, and then, we need to be ready, or at least willing, to move.

This is the toughest part of the prayer for me, because in order to step into an act of holiness, I have to be intentional, receptive, and bold. For me, this sometimes takes place in conversations with loved ones. They may say something that I do not know how to respond to, or if I do, I may feel uncomfortable with saying the words on my heart. In this case, I have to pause and intentionally pray to the Holy Spirit that He enters into our conversation and provides me with the right words to say.

I then have to be receptive to His direction. I have to say, “Okay, I hear You, and I will obey You.” Then. The boldness. Whatever I feel called to do or say, I must actually act upon. I cannot let His words sit stale in the air. His words need to move. Emboldened by the Spirit, my work too, can then be holy.

Today, friends, be bold! Psalm 138:3 says, “On the day I cried out, you answered; you strengthen my spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is accompanying you. Be convicted of His presence and move forward with boldness, “…since we have such hope, we act very boldly” (2 Corinthians 3:12).

Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners

Today, ask your prayer partner what challenges they faced. Were they able to intentionally invite the Holy Spirit to be with them, to lead them, and to help them act with confidence? If so, how did they notice this prayer making a difference in their day and, specifically, in their situation?

Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She serves as Evangelization Manager for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in the Office of Evangelization. She is a recent graduate of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry program with the School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas. When she’s not reading and writing you can find her enjoying life with her new husband, brewing French press coffee in her kitchen, reading wine labels with friends in an effort to discover the perfect Pinot Noir and blogging about her travel adventures. You can find out more about her here.